


Consequences of Ghosts

by Betery



Series: Highnoon in the Universe [10]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game), Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Feels, Gabe curses so that's why it's rated teen, Gen, Post-Fall of Overwatch, Science Fiction, ambiguous technology, black paladin lance, medicine gone too far
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-03
Updated: 2017-11-03
Packaged: 2019-01-28 18:12:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12612448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Betery/pseuds/Betery
Summary: Not everything in Overwatch is all snowballs and bunny rabbits, everyone has a history. Lance gets nosy and finds out a few things about Gabriel Reyes that aren't very happy at all. Flash to the present and Team Voltron find themselves on a planet that has empty streets, but an ongoing distress signal. The ghosts of the past and present here, too.





	Consequences of Ghosts

**Author's Note:**

> BoY howdy. I wanted this done on Halloween but..I have it up for Dia de Los Muertos, which counts! I hope you guys enjoyed, I worked my tail off and the result of this is something I'm proud of! I hope you all enjoy it as well.  
> UPDATE 11/4/17: uh, so...Moira was just introduced, and I kinda feel like half-prophet now. I mean, in the sense that Blizzard also brought up this issue, not how we explained it. I won't give spoilers on what happens in this fic, but I'm I'm going to tweak it just a LITTLE in order to make some room for Moira.

**Lance could claim many things, having a sense of self-control was not among them. Because as of right now Lance was hovering over a mysterious email he found on Jack’s tablet. A tablet that Lance was not supposed to be near, cause Jack, worked on this tablet, but it was just lying on the table when it rang some old game themed tone signaling an incoming email.**

**There was a little skull emoji with the Subject ‘Old Times’ and inside attached was a video file.**

**Being the creature of curiosity he was, there was a burning need to SEE what it was in there. What exactly did old times mean?**

**Lance tapped softly on the screen to download it and Lance enchanted by the grainy security feed watched in horror at what the video portrayed.**

**There was an inky blackness tied to a table that was having a hard time keeping form. There were distorted screams and various doctors were shouting orders. The phrases ‘just let me die’ accompanying the writhing form and when a doctor came up with a needle and some sort of golden medicine it shifted into a smoke form and fled the room.**

**“We have to tell Angela.” One of the Doctors whispered, horrified, one of the doctors looks a little less than pleased, her expression twisted up, and she turns to strike at the man who mentioned talking to angela-**

**The video must have been spliced together, because there was a different video feed of the same man in black Now holding his guns, taking down various men, till finally, he teleported in the middle of what must have been a 6 man squad and just laid it in them by spinning and letting bullets fly.**

**The thing about these bullets though was that there was no blood, the people went down all the same and it didn’t look like any of them were bleeding. But their eyes were wide open and no chests moved to breath. Lance shuddered as the man in black looked around and held a hand up to his ear.**

**‘Reaper here, It’s clear.’**

**That’s when Lance paused the video, there was well over half of the video left but Lance didn’t wanna see it. He shouldn’t have looked, he should’ve minded his own business.**

**He stumbled out of the room into the dark hallway, only the red emergency light on. Winston needed some extra power for an experiment and as there was only so much energy- power was diverted, rerouted, and redistributed accordingly. Where it served a good purpose in helping Winston out, it only sent Lance further down an anxiety railroad.**

**It was only a hallway though, and he was close to the training room where there was undoubtedly going to be light. So Lance headed down in that direction, trying not to jump at any noise.**

**He was almost at his chosen destination when a soft whooshing sound, that Lance had thought was the air conditioners on the fritz again and the back of Lance’s hair lifted up in alarm, Lance looked behind to see a man materializing out of NOTHING and he remembered the video, the smoke the bullets that didn’t leave blood behind.**

**It wasn’t one of Lance’s proudest moments but he was pretty pleased that he yelped in a lower register, and when the figure materialized into the beanie-wearing nerd of Gabriel- he let out a sigh of relief.**

**“Give a guy a little warning next time, would you?”**

**Gabriel rose an eyebrow, canting his head to the side mouth pursed a little as he looked Lance up and down probably taking in all of Lance’s micro-expressions and body language.**

**“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”**

**‘probably because you are the closest thing in real life’ Lance though and he waved his hand as though to push that thought away, “Me? Noooo I mean, it’s just not every day someone can _mistify_ me so well.” He winked and Gabriel rolled his eyes. **

**“Yeah, sure Cielo, you totally weren’t scared out of your pants.” He patted Lance on the shoulder. “If you need anything I’ll be in the training room.”**

**Gabriel disappeared down the hall and Lance was stuck with his feet unmoving as he got his heart under control. Yeah, Gabe could be scary but he was a GOOD GUY, right? Lance didn’t really know much about Gabe though, and what exactly happened to him when Overwatch fell.**

**Winston and Jack HAD shared to Lance that things were very complicated and there were a lot of things that were regrettable long before and long after Overwatch’s fall, but Lance couldn’t help but feel that Gabe was heavily involved.**

**How…could Gabe do that smoky thing?**

**Lance dropped away from his initial fear and decided to go bug Gabe with some questions, so Lance headed down the hallway to the training room.**

**A few yards away Lance could indeed hear the sounds of gunfire and grunting as Gabe fought in it, and the door had an ‘in progress’ light on which meant Lance couldn’t go inside since it was locked, so Lance decided to look through the glass and see what was there.**

**What Lance saw was practically a play by play of the video he had found in Jack’s email, but with holographic lights. The projectors created these ‘people’ that could come at you at a certain force depending on the level you chose, and Gabe chose…a high one.**

**He wasn’t even breaking a sweat! Gabe was rolling and shooting at the same time and Lance took a breath when he was surrounded and something in the air just _snapped_ Gabe’s cool attitude was now forced into a blossom of fury as he spun around shouting ‘die die DIE’ and all of the holographic figures _exploded_ in bursts of light. **

**It was beautiful and terrifying.**

**When Gabriel finally stopped spinning, he turned to look up and saw Lance, and the motion with his head for Lance to come on in. Lance did so, the door opening easily enough, and Gabe was stretching.**

**“Something you needed?” He asked, making a big stretch above his head. Lance shrugged.**

**“Not really.” A beat of silence for effect… “But” He drawled, “I did wanna know how you did that awesome mist thing.”**

**Gabe huffed, “Going wraith?  I dunno, it just happens. Angela would probably know more about the whole science behind it.” His tone, while light held a sharpness to it.**

**“Sorry, I mean, if you don’t wanna-“**

**“Cielo, it’s fine.” Gabriel snaps, freezing in place and sighing. “I mean, it’s not fine. What happened to me was traumatizing and my body went through the ghost version of puberty, but It’s been a long time. Angela could seriously give you better insight than I could.”**

**Lance hummed in thought, then shook his head. “I’ll ask her later.” Which would be waaay in the future, Angela did not do things by halves, and if Lance showed an interest in what seemed to be a medical question, then she would give the full blown 2-hour answer.**

**Gabe grunted and headed over to the panel to reprogram the training sequence. “Got anything else on your mind?”**

**So many. But which one to go with?**

**Lance pondered and pondered till he just blurt out:**

**“What did you do after the fall?” To which Gabriel tensed up, and slowly turned around.**

**“Why would you want to know something like _that_?” The inflection was astonished, but what did that wrinkle in his brow mean? It was far too late to back out, so Lance shrugged. **

**“Winston went into hiding, Jack and Ana became vigilantes. Fareeha made a life for herself in the police force.” Lance listed off the names on his hand, then pointed to Gabe, “What...did you do?”**

**Gabriel’s eyes were glinting hard, his jaw set and mouth set in a frown. “Kid. There are some things you don’t wanna know, and what happened to me after the fall is most _certainly_ one of them.” **

**The tone that Gabriel took was harsh, and Lance could understand, but at the same time the video was burned into Lance’s retina’s and he couldn’t just let that go. Lance had survived this far, why not poke the bear a little harder?**

**“There was an email on Jack’s pad. You were in it.” Lance said, backing off giving the illusion of ‘it’s totally cool. You won’t beat me over the head for this, or worse.’ He forced his shoulders lax and clasped his hands behind his back to keep them from shaking.**

**“They showed some..interesting things, and I kinda need to know what it’s all about.”**

**A crash echoed in the training hall, causing Lance to jump and Gabe was tensed up with his shoulders hunched close to his ears, one of his guns laying a couple feet away, near the wall. Then, like a string was cut Gabe sagged and turned his tired eyes to Lance.**

**“It’s gonna be a long story so sit your ass down you little shit.”**

**Lance took his seat on the nearby bench.**

**Gabe painted a story of the Omnicrisis, how he and Jack had worked together. How Gabe became the head for Blackwatch. He skimmed over the fall, but described the explosion, and how he had almost died.**

**“Death became a close friend after that. I was found by a doc who had stolen technology and used it to rez what little was left of me. They didn’t do as good a job as like Angela… they did even better. Instead of healing me, they made me so I _can’t_ die. If I come too close I automatically wraith or collapse into a goo just reform later. Freaked me out the first few times. The sensation is disjointing to say the least. I don’t remember who I am at first, at least till I pull enough of myself back together.” **

**Gabe was looking at his hands. “This is my curse.” He spat, “For ending probably the one good thing in my life, in Earth’s life- I have to see everything to the bitter end.” He looked up and stared into Lance’s eyes, the emotions hard and searching,.**

**“Actions have consequences, Chico.” He rumbled, “Just remember that.”**

**Gabe then got up and stalked away, “I’m gonna go out and clear my head.”**

**Lance didn’t share what had happened with his Pa, because Lance wasn't sure entirely if Gabe had been telling the truth. He had no reason to lie but was that searching expression, almost to see if Lance believed what Gabe had been saying. The story lined up with what Lance had seen, which generally would be good, but there were pieces missing and Lance wanted to know them, but did he need to? Lance sighed, looking up at the ceiling of his bed, thinking about that scene in that lab, Gabe being a mist-goo thing, the woman doctor striking out at the guy who was scared. The syringe. Like some kind of procedure.**

**Gabe avoided him for a day or two before going back to ruffling his hair and giving him shooter pointers. Lance had been given a lot to think about, but he could handle it. Lance would let the ghosts rest in peace for now.**

Now:

Days, weeks, months. It’s all the same to space. Whether it feels like morning or Lance is exhausted to the bone from a long day of defending the Universe the sky is still inky black. Lance looked at the calendar on his phone and Halloween was coming up, and soon after would be Dia de Los Muertos.

Two huge Holiday’s that Lance wouldn’t be spending with his family. Lance had already had to go through spending his birthday, and father’s day without his family back on earth but now THIS? Being in space required a lot more than he had originally counted on.

There were his meditation sessions though, and going to visit Zenyatta, sending various messages and asking for advice on how to be a good leader.

_“It seems to me Lance, that you have the skills to be what it takes to lead, you have the faith of your team do you not?”_

_Lance scoffed, “Well, DUH I mean, they wouldn’t follow my orders if they didn’t, right? I mean we joke around a lot but when I take Black everything kinda falls into place ya know? They trust me.”_

_“But Shiro has now returned. I assume now that you and Keith must step down?”_

Having Shiro back should have been relieving, and to Keith, it had been. Because of Shiro being back Keith took up the unofficial liaison position with the blade, going on missions for them. At first, Lance had been okay with this, one mission every once in a while, was okay.

Recently though, Keith had been disappearing more and more to the blade and their various missions.

Lance was headed to the bridge to see what Allura was up to, she had mentioned the day before something about reaching out to a planet that had an automated distress signal just spinning away. The planet still seemed to be intact, but just seeing a generic distress signal play over and over..and the Galra hadn’t even destroyed the planet! Maybe they didn’t know? Or maybe something else had happened.

As they approached, the planet seemed quiet enough, but Allura with her scans could pick up no life-signs.

“At the very least we should go down and turn off the signal.” Shiro stated, “Perhaps even find out what happened.”

Allura agreed, “That is an excellent idea. Due to Keith’s…absence again, who shall take charge of the Black Lion?”

Shiro looked to Lance, “You’ve got this.” He said, but the tone of his voice fell a little flat and his shoulders sagged just a little, “Just be sure to keep your head on straight.”

Where Lance once found joy in piloting black, he now felt that stupid cesspool of guilt open up, “Shiro, Buddy.” Lance tried to encourage, “I’m sure if you tried to reconnect with black you would-“

“I tried, remember Lance?” He responds his shoulders now square. As if Lance could forget. In the heat of battle, everyone had gone to their Lions, Allura already in blue and our into space, which left Lance Keith and Shiro, where Keith ordered Lance to go take red. Which he did, but then when Shiro tried to pilot black there were…less than favorable results.

Shiro sighed, he looked away, turning full body with his back to Lance “Just go Lance, the team needs you.”

Yeah, but they need YOU too. Lance thought to himself, as he headed down to the hanger. When he got in Black he sighed in the interior.

“I dunno why you didn’t let him in that first time, but his confidence really took a hit ya know.” The bond with the Lion hummed in return.

Black’s language was different from Blue’s. And Red’s. Blue was a calm sort of language where she gave images and feelings where Red was shoving their thoughts and feelings at you full force no questions asked. Black on the other hand always felt like something was being held back, but from what Lance could gather Black was just saying ‘patience’ to which Lance rolled his eyes.

“Being patient isn’t my forte, handsome. Now let’s get rolling!”

\--

The planet below was under some kind of cloud haze, and they landed in the city where Pidge had tracked the signal to. The buildings were monstrous, and no lights were on.

“They look to be a technology-based society,” Pidge observes aloud, looking at the various glass panels. “But it kinda looks…gothic to me. Or Victorian. Like if you took Victorian England and fused it together with Tokyo or something.”

There was certainly something ancient about the forms of the buildings and how they combined what looked to be a technology-based interface. Everything was just so..dark though.

“I’m not sure what ‘vitorian’ is, or this ‘Tokyo’ but the architecture is fascinating, to say the least.”

Lance opened his mouth to correct Allura, but honestly, it wasn’t worth it. At least right now, maybe when they were back on the ship Lance could give an impromptu earth culture lesson.

As of the moment, Allura reached out to a plaque in front of an Alien statue holding what appears to be the planet in their hands, a serene expression on their face. Two eyes closed, the third eye opened.

The plaque flickered to life, text floated above in an elegant script, and a voice began to speak.

“Doctor Sore’vot: the scientist given the award of world peace with the technology to heal the sick.  Cure the deaf and blind, and the gift to resurrect our dead. Here we have a statue commemorating the day of discovery when life has become eternal.”

This. Had an eerie familiarity about it.

“It seems as though their lives were cut short, rather than made eternal,” Allura mourned softly, removing her hand and causing the text to retreat to its source.

“So, what happened? This place looks like it could have held millions. And this is just one city!”

“I’m not sure, but I’m certain we can find out.” Allura asserted, “Pidge, which building did you say the signal was coming from?”

Pidge looked at her pad, and then looked up, “It says it coming from that huge building just over there.

“Alright.” Lance said, placing a hand on a forlorn looking hunk, “Let’s go get that signal.” Hunk gave a small smile, his gaze lingering on the statue.

\--

The electricity in this area still seemed to be working as they passed by shops various advertisements would pop up, motion censored apparently. Brand new toys, specials on food.

They were passing some particularly interesting electronics shop when Lance passed an alley out of the corner of his eye, Lance felt the back of his neck tingle, like he was being watched he looked over into the alley, caught a flash of _something_ but when Lance took a closer look, there was nothing there, just a few stray bits of trash.

Must have been some kind of dust kicked up; however when Lance turned back to face the others he got the same feeling of being watched again.

They finally reached the building, it looked way taller up close: the dark wood making up its form was combined with glass, and the carvings in the wood and glass structures were intricate and spiraled in very gorgeous shapes that had Lance wondering if it were more of a natural thing the trees did.

The door’s opened automatically and the team entered the lobby.

The floor shined, smooth tile expanding from front to back, a silver sheen to counter the dark wood of the building and the walls. There was no clerk desk like there would have been on earth, just a blank panel raised from the wall, a few hallways where somewhere there must be some stairs or this equivalent to an elevator.

Hunk was the first to head to the panel and hover his hand over it like Allura did with the plaque and like magic (or just really awesome science) a map popped up. The odd language didn’t help, but Hunk looked at it for a couple of seconds, Pidge hovering over his shoulder reaching out and touched the hologram. The image turned a little and the two of them had a hay day looking through the map and just a couple minute later before they turned to the rest of the team with a grin.

“Got it, Alright guys gal and non-binary pal let’s get to finding that signal. Pidge? You wanna take the helm on this one, you have the map.”

Pidge nodded. “This way minions! The elevator is just over here.”

Everyone followed Pidge and entered the elevator.

“Alright Pidge, take us away!” And pidge rolled her eyes, looking around the elevator, there was another raised panel and Pidge the wonderful mastermind figured out the secrets and they headed to the top of the tower.

The doors opened to a dark hallway that split to the left and right.

“This floor is pretty large,” Pidge says, “I think we should split up one group find the beacon and turn it off, the other go information grinding.”

“Alright!” Lance clapped his hands together, trying to dispel any tensions in the air. “Let’s get to it. Hunk, you’re with me.”  Hunk nodded and Allura and Pidge shrugged as they chose the left side, leaving Hunk and Lance with the right.

Walking down the hallway with only minimal light was setting Lance’s warning signals on overload, Hunk opened the first door, and he froze. Hunk, when scared, was normally a screamer but this time his pal was totally frozen in place shaking from head to foot.

“Hunk? You okay there buddy, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Lance placed a comforting hand on his bed buds shoulder peering around him into the room. Floating in front of what looked to be a desk was another dark mist mass swirling ominously when Lance leaned over from behind hunk to get a better look it flared once before whooshing up into the vent system and suddenly Lance was reminded of Gabe. Something strange was going on. Seeing a shadow once was a coincidence but now…not Lance wasn’t sure what to do.

“Maybe we should check that computer buddy. I’ll keep watch while you work your magic.” Lance summoned his rifle. A gun won’t do much to a wraith, but it was something heavy and had power behind it. So even if it was a fake kind of safety, it was better than nothing.

“uh, right. Lance, you realize none of this stuff in is English, Altean or Galran, right? I won’t be able to read anything even if this computer has the answer to life itself.”

Lance waved his hand to dispel any worry. “Just download it and Pidge can handle the translating mumbo jumbo. They’re good at that stuff.”

Hunk didn’t look convinced, “Right. Guess I’ll just…download everything.”

Lance kept watch, something about the stillness of the room was unnerving. The air was stale, and because its wide floor plan it felt like any shadow could be watching. Considering the wraith from before, it was certainly possible.

“You know Lance,” Hunk said, “I think I can handle it, maybe you should go and look at the other rooms, just in case.”

Lance frowned, “You sure?” Hunk nodded.

“Yeah, just… come and save me if you hear me scream.”

“Of course buddy,” Lance assured with a grin and headed on out.

Nothing for the rest of this half of the floor seemed out of the ordinary. Lance was entering the final office when he saw another wraith. It was just…floating there, expectantly almost.

“Hey.” Lance greeted, “Uh, I’m not sure if you’re the same as earlier but my name is Lance. Uh, my friends and I got your message for help. We’re trying to turn off that beacon, and maybe figure out what happened to this planet?”

All the while Lance got closer. The wraith was about as tall as lance what, and it was sort of easy to see through, and unlike with Gabe where he looked like a mist or fog…this wraith was almost made of particles.

“Is it possible for you to communicate with me?” Lance asked in nearly a whisper. The mist’s attention was fully on him, and suddenly it rushed forward, right INTO Lance, every particle layering on top of and inside of him, Lance had never felt so close to something and there was something else itching at him, reaching and Lance wasn’t sure how to help out.

Lance closed his eyes breathing through his nose calmly. Nothing was trying to hurt him, nothing bad was going to happen.

 _Darkness._ Something whispered in the back of his mind, specifically where he normally could hear the Lions, _Medicine, war. Darkness. Death, life, us. Me. We?_ Images flashed in Lance’s mind, like dreams or distant memories.

The doctor depicted in the statue helping a little boy walk, wounded soldiers becoming healed from battles, people paying ludicrous amounts of money for this miracle elixir.

There was an explosion, and everything went wrong. A power plant failure and incineration but there was no death, just these wraiths slowly trying to put themselves back together.

 _Lost._ The wraith whispered, _So many lost._ Because not everyone could have afforded the medicine, there were enough people in order to ensure the continuation of the planet, but having to put yourself back together from being so thoroughly...vaporized would take time. This wraith was only one of a few with an actual consciousness as far as it could tell, but the whole city was swarming with them. Crawling in the shadows, even in the atmosphere. Darkening everything. When everyone put themselves back together, it would be a relief to see the light again.

 ** _I’m so sorry._** Lance thought back. Having the wraith re-experience those memories through Lance manufactured the joy of this invention in Lance and the tragedy that had struck. A few stray tears tracked down his face, and Lance reached up to wipe them away. **_I’m sorry there isn’t anything I can do._**

The wraith gave a small warm emotion into Lance’s being that he interpreted as a smile. The wraith removed itself from his person and looked at Lance, then it flared, and shifted off to go somewhere else. Perhaps to find more of its missing pieces.

Lance went back to Hunk who had all the info on that computer downloaded.

“Find anything?” Where did one even begin to explain?

\--

When everyone got back on the castle ship Lance explained his bizarre experience.

Allura looked stricken, her hand over her heart after Lance had finished. “Those poor people. Perhaps…if we found a hospital, and did some research-“

Coran placed a hand on Allura’s shoulder, “Princess, a project like this would take much more time than we could afford.”

Allura stood from her seat, “But we cannot just do nothing!”

Pidge had their thinking expression on, “We don’t have to stay.” They said, and everyone zeroed in, “We can go to a hospital, download whatever info they have and sift through it while we deal with the Galra, like a side project. That way we aren’t leaving these people to suffer alone.”

Shiro nodded, “That sounds like a good plan. Once we download the info we can be on our way.”

Hunk elected to stay on the castle ship with Coran, as did Lance. This was Allura’s and Pidge’s project and there was nothing too dangerous on the planet.

Lance looked out as the Blue and Green lion descended to the planet, arms crossed as he leans against the wall. Actions had their consequences, and the ghost of those actions can linger for a long time but at least now, it doesn’t have to dealt with alone.

Heh, maybe he should tell that line to Keith when he gets back. Maybe that’ll knock some sense into him.

**Author's Note:**

> And that's that! What did you all think? Love it? Hate it? Random thought tickle your little brain? Comment and kudos will be much appreciated! Till next time Darlings~


End file.
